The aim of these awards is to encourage international research collaboration among less established researchers. We provide financial support to cover the travel and subsistence costs for postdoctoral researchers wanting to visit and work with researchers in the UK and vice versa.

New Links
The awards support new links between researchers in the UK and other countries. These are contacts which have recently been made, but have not yet resulted in collaboration. These can also be links growing out of contacts made during British Council INYS events.

The application must be for a new link for the individual researcher. The exchange can be part of an already established link between institutions or research groups, but only as long as the researcher has not been involved before.

The applicant cannot apply to return to a research group where they previously studied or carried out research.

If the applicant is applying to return to the same institution they must explain why this constitutes a new link, for example to participate in research with a new research group in the institution. However, our aim is to encourage researchers to develop links with new institutions in new countries.

What do we mean by postdoctoral researchers?
The term postdoctoral researcher refers to researchers at the beginning of their research careers, who wish to make international contacts in order to better establish themselves.

The applicant must:

Hold a doctoral qualification and currently hold a research position within an institution,

or,

Be within 12 months of obtaining a doctoral qualification and provide evidence that they are taking up a research position once they have completed their PhD.

The applicant must also have no more than five years tenure in a university or research institute. We would define tenure as a non-fixed term contract. Fixed term contracts or fellowships are not classed as tenured positions.

The applicant should also have no more than ten years overall active research experience on 31 December 2008 (not including any career breaks) since the completion of his or her doctoral qualification.

International Experience
The applicant should not be a national of the country they are applying to visit. They should have not lived, worked or studied in that country for more than 12 months out of the three years immediately prior to 31 December 2008.

How Does It Work?
The RXP exchange awards fund short term exchange visits for postdoctoral researchers to make international connections. This can be a single visit between two weeks and three months duration, or multiple visits. The award is to the individual, not the link and cannot exceed £5,000.

			The call for applications will be published on 2 April 2008
			Applications must be for travel between December 2008 and December 2009
			The deadline for applications will be 2 July 2008
			Notification of successful awards will be given in November 2008

How much can I apply for?
The maximum award that can be applied for is £5,000, and costs must be detailed.

What Will The Awards Cover?
The awards are for travel and subsistence. A small amount of the award can also be used for consumable equipment, up to £250, although it is expected that the receiving lab will provide most of these resources. If you are requesting an amount for consumable equipment you should provide a breakdown of items to be purchased. It cannot be used to cover bench fees, utility bills or staffing overheads, non-consumable equipment or salaries.

You can apply for an award for one or more visits. These should be between two weeks and three months in total.

How Many Researchers Can Participate?
Each postdoctoral researcher applying for travel must submit a separate application. The award is to the individual.

More than one researcher from the same sending or receiving institution can apply for an award, but each must submit an individual application.

The awards are aimed at supporting new researcher links between institutions or laboratories and will require the support of the heads of department from both the sending and receiving departments or laboratories.

The awards support reciprocal exchanges between the UK and other countries. Applications are encouraged with a reciprocal element, but we cannot guarantee that all applicants in the link will receive an award since this will depend on the appropriateness of the application.

Which Research Areas Are Covered?
The link can be in any area of research, including science, engineering, technology, social sciences and humanities.

The research subject should be a UK priority in its field. This will be commented on by the relevant UK research council during the selection process. the application should include detail on why the subject is a priority.

Darwin RXP Awards
To celebrate the forthcoming anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, this year we would also like to invite researchers to apply for our special Darwin RXP awards. If you are a researcher in areas related to evolutionary theory and Darwin’s legacy you can apply for a special RXP award. For example these areas would include research links in:

			Behavioural Ecology
			Biodiversity
			Comparative Biology
			Systematics
			Developmental Biology and Evolutionary Biology
			Ecology
			Evolutionary Processes
			Paleobiology
			Population & Evolutionary Genetics

Evolutionary theory has challenged orthodoxy in disciplines across the arts, humanities and the social as well as natural sciences: from evolutionary psychology, ethics, and cognitive neuroscience, to language, aesthetics and social behaviour. Given the pervasive influence of Darwin’s ideas, we would also welcome applications from researchers in these and other areas.

The Darwin RXP awards will be judged under the same criteria as the usual RXP awards. Applications for the Darwin RXP awards should be submitted by the normal RXP deadline, 2 July, and will be included in the same selection process.

Which Countries Are Eligible?
You can apply to travel from the UK to any other country and from any other country to the UK.